


Tonight We'll Be Victorious

by elvishoboist



Series: Unlikely Heros [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multiple Origins, Multiple Wardens, mute warden
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-08-22 11:05:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8283673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elvishoboist/pseuds/elvishoboist
Summary: Anya Mahariel was happy with her clan. No, really, she was. She never had to speak, and everyone understood what she had to say. She had a best friend that she adored, and a place within her clan. But she lost it all in a bid to keep her best friend out of harm's way. The Warden Duncan managed to save her from the Blight Sickness, and he quickly learned how to communicate with her. He promised to teach the other Wardens and said she would have a home with them. Too bad things never worked out.Picks up after Lothering and continues on to the end of Origins.





	1. On Anya Mahariel

Anya Mahariel was difficult to understand. She had a soft voice that she almost never used. She spoke with her hands and Alistair was left to explain to company that a childhood injury had rendered it difficult for her to talk and when she would speak, it was difficult to understand her. Later, when Lilianna asked, Alistair told her of seeing Duncan staying close to the tiny elf and how nerve wracking it had been to see the Senior Warden approaching him in the Ostegar camp. Later Alistair had learned that Duncan had familiarized himself with Anya’s hand words so he could help her communicate.

Alistair had been next to Anya when King Cailan had approached to ask something of the Wardens. The tiny elf had become quite flustered, trying to communicate with her hands through Alistair who tried to interpret the best he could. Finally, a mixture of Alistair’s discomfort and Anya’s frustration had prompted the Warden Recruit to motion for Alistair to lean down so she could speak into his ear. Anya’s voice was hard to understand, her unused vocal cords and thick accent causing her no small amount of pain as she struggled to speak to Alistair. Finally, with her answers conveyed, the Warden Recruit took her leave, hurrying off to find Duncan, leaving Cailan and Alistair facing each other.

“Is there a reason she cannot speak for herself?” Cailan finally asked.

“She is practically mute and she tries to use her hands to speak, but I only know a few of her hand words so far,” Alistair said. “Anya requests you keep it quiet. She doesn’t want people to know and is trying to pass it off as she doesn’t know much Trade.”

It had been vaguely amusing to see Cailan unable to come up with something to say to that.

Meeting Morrigan and Flemeth after Ostagar was difficult for Anya. Alistair had been distant and too distracted to be able to interpret Anya’s hand words. So Anya had been forced to speak. Morrigan revealed a protective streak when Flemeth pressed Anya for answers and demanded the Warden speak clearly, snapping at Flemeth when the Elf broke down into frustrated tears.  
The Mabari Anya saved proved to be fiercely protective of her, and quickly learned her hand words for basic commands. Anya named the dog Tamlen and he added an extra push for Morrigan and Alistair to learn Anya’s hand words.

Leliana was the easiest to meet, accepting the Warden’s quiet nature and filling the silence with any story the Warden found interest in. The Bard was the first to learn all of Anya’s hand words and spent as much time as possible at the Warden’s side.

Sten was difficult when he learned of Anya’s struggle. He talked about the Qun and did not try to hide his opinions on her unworthiness of her position. All the same, he picked up on her hand signals quickly, and even used them himself as he spoke.

Zevran was the most accepting. It took him the longest to realize that Anya could actually speak, though she was hard to understand. He hardly reacted, instead declaring that she should be comfortable. He was her strongest supporter, treating her without pity which reassured the Warden more than she could express.

Oghren was surprisingly rude about the entire matter. He embarrassed Anya quite thoroughly, asking in the middle of the tavern why she couldn’t speak for herself and continuing to press her throughout their expedition in the Deep Roads. Morrigan wasted no time in chewing the dwarf out. Alistair glared darkly during the expedition. Sten stared at the dwarf with open disapproval before finally remarking that Oghren was being rude. The dwarf took the longest to understand even the most basic hand words, and never was able to translate for the elf.

Wynne was the only person Anya tried to speak to. After Oghren’s insensitivity, she wanted to prove that she was a capable leader. Wynne was sympathetic, telling Anya that she didn’t have to speak, she only asked that Anya give her time to learn the hand words, though once Alim and Anya laid eyes on each other, the need to learn vanished as the Elvhen mage was overeager to translate for his new friend.

Alim was like a brother to Anya, sticking close to her at all times. The two kept no secrets from each other and constantly referred back to each other before making decisions. While Alim was unable to attempt the Joining, he quickly became the face of the small group of Wardens, becoming the balance between Alistair's unwillingness to lead, and Anya's inability to lead. They may not have been much, but they were family.


	2. Enlisting the Dalish

"Where are we going first?" Of course it was Alistair who asked the question.

"Don't look at me. This isn't my mission," Morrigan shot back a reply, glaring at the Warden.

"Someone has to have an idea!" Leliana protested.

"I did not agree to follow you just to witness countless arguments!" Sten snapped.

Anya, who had been too occupied with Tamlen to attempt to add any input, tugged at Morrigan's arm to draw the Witch's attention.

"Anya?" Morrigan asked turning her attention to the Warden.

Anya gestured at herself.

"You have an idea?"

Anya nodded, making a sweeping motion to encompass herself.

"I don't understand."

Anya sighed, pointing at her face.

"You?"

Anya grimaced, running a hand down her face, following a line of her vallaslin.

"Your tattoos?"

Anya nodded.  _"The Dalish,"_  She signed.

"The Dalish?" Morrigan frowned as she spoke, sounding unsure.

Anya nodded excitedly.  _"Let's go see the Dalish!"_

* * *

 

When Anya walked into the Dalish Camp, she took on a whole separate persona. She stood taller, and her hands didn't stop moving. Even when speaking with Keeper Zathrien, she met his gaze and didn't hesitate to speak. She agreed to help before Zathrien even finished explaining what the problem was. Leliana stuck close to the Warden, watching and listening as Anya moved through the camp, gathering information on the werewolves and this portion of the forest. What fascinated Sten was the interest Anya took in Cammen. She listened to the young man talk about his feelings for Gheyna before huffing and walking over to speak with Gheyna herself.

 _"Gheyna?"_  She touched a young woman's arm before spelling out the name.

"Yes, I am Gheyna. Can you understand me? Or do I need to use the hand words too?"

 _"I can hear and understand you,"_  Anya replied with a smile.

"How did you know my name? Did Cammen mention me? I noticed you spoke to him for quite a while."

_"He spoke of you. I was interested in meeting the woman he could not stop speaking about."_

"So you know that I have refused his hand until he completes his trials?"

_"It worries me. It worries him. He wonders if you are trying to find a reason to refuse him."_

"No! Not at all! I just, the Elders. They don't approve."

_"Your Elders sound like mine. Tell me Gheyna, do your Elders allow two men to bond?"_

"I am unsure. Why?”

“ _I want to tell you a story. A story from my Clan. My best friend’s name was Tamlen. Fenarel was another close friend of ours. The three of us did everything together, and we got into all sorts of trouble. Tamlen was the first to receive his vallaslin, and I followed a month later. Fenarel was slightly younger, so he wasn’t up to receive his. One day, Tamlen asked the Keeper if he could declare intent after someone he loved. He was given permission because the Keeper thought he would be announcing intent after me. Tamlen took down a black bear, and upon reaching camp, he waited until Fenarel approached and Tamlen said the bear was for him. The Elders stepped in and told Fenarel and Tamlen they could not bond. So, they didn’t. Not officially. But, after Fenarel received his vallaslin, he and Tamlen began using the same Aravel and combined their lives. They didn’t let the Elders keep them from being happy. And neither should you and Cammen._ ”

“I am afraid it isn’t that simple.”

“ _Yes, it is. Hear me out, I’m not saying bond with him today. I’m saying agree to it, and follow through after he completes his trial. Don’t leave him hanging like this. How can he hunt when he is so worried about losing you?_ ”

“I, you make a good point. I will speak to him.”

Cammen was overjoyed to hear Gheyna agree to be his mate. He visibly relaxed, though he stuck close to Gheyna and constantly looked at her, as though afraid she’d disappear.

Anya was smiling.

* * *

Anya tried to resolve things peacefully, which was even more evident in the Brecilian Forest than it had been in Lothering.

Anya had spoken to Swiftrunner, discovering the werewolf's ability to recognize and respond to her hand words. She had been startled, and had taken it in stride, trying to reassure the wolf that she just wanted to resolve the issue peacefully.

Finding Deygan was difficult for Anya. The tiny Warden bore the other Elf's body back to the camp, too distressed to allow any of the others to help her. She then spoke to Zathrian, Lanaya, and Sarel in length, asking questions about the wolves, how they were created, and how they might learn to speak. When she was satisfied, she gathered up her companions and went back out into the forest.

Anya tried to avoid fighting Swiftrunner, but, once he attacked, she met him with her blade personally. She never backed down from the challenge, meeting the werewolves head-on until she was asked to parlay. Anya was enchanted by the Lady of the Forest, and she stared openly, using her most respective language and adopting a honorary gesture for the Spirit's name. Speaking to Zathrian brought her to tears.

_"Keeper! Think of your Clan! Yes, your children died, but will you bury your Clan alongside them for this? Don't you love them too?"_

"You do not understand, Hunter! You will hod your tongue!"

_"You do not deserve the title of Keeper! You would let your Clan die instead of doing what is in your power to save them!"_

"I am saving them."

_"What about next time? When there is no Witherfang to kill? What then? End this curse so that you can protect your Clan!"_

Zathrian agreed to end the curse, and Anya told his Clan that he was a hero in the end.

* * *

The company stayed with the Dalish long enough for Anya to take Cammen out and supervise his hunting trials. Under Anya's watchful eye, he took down a wolf and earned the rights to his vallaslin. Gheyna publicly agreed to bond with him the moment she heard the news, much to Anya's delight. Anya gave Lenaya ways to contact her, and asked a messenger to pass on her love to her Clan before leaving with the others for Orzamar.

 


	3. Zevran Arainai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group meets Zevran. Slight canon-divergence.

“Please help us! They attacked the wagon!”

Anya took off after the woman, drawing her blades, as she ran, obviously desperate to offer aid to any survivors of the apparent attack, the rest of the small group hot on her heals.

The woman lead them to a perfect ambush site, and Sten charged forward to grab Anya and pull her behind him.

"Don't run ahead," Sten said simply as Alistair took the lead.

Everyone froze when the woman paused as though to speak with the man before turning and smirking as the man raised a hand to summon a small group of men, assassins if Anya would have guessed had she been forced to.

“The Grey Warden dies here!” The man, the apparent leader, shouted, drawing his blades and clashing with Anya who charged to meet him.

Anya faced off with the leader, leaving the others to take on the group of men. Her blades flashed, as she ducked and slashed, demonstrating exactly why Dalish Wardens were a force to fear. The last slash sent the leader to the ground as she lept for a mage, daggers sinking into her shoulders as she took the other woman to the ground.

"That shouldn't be so hot," Leliana commented, watching as Anya pulled her blades from the woman's body.

"Don't say things like that!" Alistair wined, watching Tamlen take down the last man and Sten wipe his sword off on a body.

"The leader seems to still be alive," Leliana commented.

“What should we do with him?” Morrigan asked.

"Maybe kill him? Before he tries to kill us again?" Alistair suggested before glancing at Anya.

_"Tie his hands, use an extra healing potion, question him when he wakes?"_ Anya suggested, glancing around before digging up a healing potion.

"Do you think he'll say why he tried to kill us?" Alistair asked, watching Anya couch down and begin to tied up the Elvhen man, pulling hidden weapons and creating a small pile just out of reach.

"Do we have to give him a healing potion? Seems like a waste of resources," Morrigan grumbled.

_"I'll make another. And I won't give him a whole. Just enough to keep him from dying before we get our answers."_ Anya replied, uncorcking the potion and pouring a small amount down the throat of the thoroughly tied up Elf.

Anya stood and dusted off her knees, looking up and offering a small smile to Leliana as the bard walked over and stood beside the Elvhen woman.

A groan pulled their attention before Leliana could say anything.

"Mmmh, what, I, oh," The Elvhen man groaned out, glancing up the small group gathered around him. "I rather assumed I'd wake up dead, or, rather, not wake up at all as the case may be. I assume you left me alive to question me. Well, let me make that easy for you. My name is Zevran, Zev to my friends. I’m one of the Antivan Crows. Perhaps you’ve heard of us? We were hired to kill any surviving Grey Wardens. A task which I have failed at. Obviously,” The assassin, Zevran, or Zev to his friends, was talking, seeming unwilling to pause for questions until Leliana interrupted with a question for Anya and Alistair.

“Who would hire out the Crows to kill you?”

“Loghain. He put out a reward for any surviving Grey Wardens.

Anya sighed, turning her attention away from her companions and to the assassin. She watched him pull on his bindings, as though testing them. He squirmed, rolling his shoulders in a move that Anya recognized. The move was one Tamlen would use on occasion to check for his hidden weapons. Unlike Tamlen, Zevran’s face fell as he realized his weapons were gone. The look in his eyes was something that had Anya reeling.

He didn’t seem afraid that his weapons were gone, nor did he seem upset that he didn’t have a weapon to make another shot with.

Zevran looked as though he wanted to die.

“Perhaps you’d care to hear a proposal?” Zevran’s voice snapped Anya out of her daze and she glanced around, wondering if anyone else has seen the look in the Elvhen assassin’s eyes.

“We’re listening,” Alistair said, eyes focused on the assassin.

“Well, here’s the thing. I failed to kill you, so, my life is forfeit. That’s how it works. If you don’t kill me, the Crows will. Thing is, I like living, and you obviously are the sort to give the Crows pause, so, let me serve you instead.”

“And why would you do that?”

“To be completely honest, I was never given much of a choice regarding joining the Crows. They bought me on the Slave market when I was a child. I think I’ve paid my worth back to them plus tenfold. They only way out, however is to sign up with someone they cannot touch. Even if I did kill you now, they might just kill me on principle for failing the first time. Honestly, I’d rather just take my chances with you.”

“Wouldn’t they come after you?” Leliana spoke up, seeming actually quite confused.

“Possibly. I happen to know their willy ways, however. I can protect myself, as well as you. Not that seem to need help. And if not… well, it’s not as if I had many alternatives the start with, is it?”

_“If the Crows are going to attack again, we should have him to better anticipate it,”_ Anya offered, speaking up for the first time.

“True enough,” Leliana replied.

“Ah, with whom are you speaking?” Zevran inquired, glancing around.

“Anya is mute and uses her hands to speak with us,” Alistair supplied, keeping his glare fixed on the Crow.

“And what, may I ask, did she say?” Zevran asked.

“She said having you, or someone familiar with the Crows will allow us to better anticipate a second attack,” Morrigan supplied.

“This is true,” Zevran chirped.

Anya raised her eyebrows, glancing at Sten and Tamlen before looking back at Zevran. _“I think we should bring him with us.”_

“I’m not sure that is a good idea. He did try to kill us after all. I say we leave him,” Alistair argued.

“Well, if you don’t kill me, the Crows will, and, likely send someone after you.”

_“Wait, Sten, can you carry him? It is getting late and we need to make camp and we shouldn’t untie him until we decide.”_

“I suppose.”

_“I’m sorry, I would carry him, but,”_ Anya gestured to herself, then at Zevran. _“He is twice my size.”_

“That is obvious,” Sten replied, walking over to toss Zevran over his shoulder.

“Now that we have been reminded that Anya is a tiny little Elf, let us find a place to camp,” Morrigan spoke up, glancing first at Anya, then at Alistair.

* * *

 Setting up camp was always a long, drawn out affair, filled with arguing and snipped remarks. Anya always disappeared to hunt, Sten and Alistair were supposed to set up the tents, Morrigan and Leliana would get firewood, start a fire, and begin dinner preparations. And every time, Morrigan and Alistair would snip at each other until Anya returned to help with dinner. Dinner would pass in silence until everyone filtered off to clean up before bed and decide on watch shifts. This time, everything passed in silence until dinner was cleaned up.

“So, the Nugalope in the circle,” Leliana was the one to start.

“Ah, yes, the fun part. What to do with the Antivan Crow you have tied up?” Zevran snarked.

“We could have left you to die?” Alistair suggested.

“I’d rather decide this quick,” Morrigan commented, glancing at Anya. “I stand with Anya, it seems. He could be useful.”

“He is a threat,” Alistair argued.

_“Friends close, enemies closer,”_ Anya pointed out.

“He seems earnest in his desire to aid us in ending the Blight,” Leliana offered.

“Are you going to ignore the fact that he tried to kill us?”

_“Alistair, are you willing to be the one to kill him?”_ Anya asked, looking straight at Alistair.

“I, no. It would be in cold blood at this point,” Alistair replied, sounding sullen.

_“Morrigan, translate to him for me, please?”_

“Certainly, Anya, I submit myself to be your lovely translator,” Morrigan snipped.

_“I didn’t mean it like that! I figured Zevran would rather you than Alistair or Leliana!”_

“Elf! Zevran! Who would you rather translate for Anya, Alistair, Leliana, or myself?” Morrigan questioned.

“Uh, you, probably.”

_“Ask him if he intends to harm us. Please?”_

“Anya asks if you mean us harm.”

“I do not. The Crows however, do.”

Anya regarded the Crow carefully before stepping forward and cutting the ties on his hands.

“Are there conditions on this?”

“He stays away from the food,” Leliana volunteered.

“No night watch for him until we all trust him,” Alistair added.

“Tamlen guards him until we all trust him,” Morrigan offered.

“Who is Tamlen?” Zevran asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

Tamlen lifted his head and barked at Zevran before settling back down.

_“Anything else?_ ” Anya asked, smiling when everyone gave a negative.

“It seems that Tamlen is going to watch Zevran, he is not to be put on watch, and his hands stay away from the food of others,” Leliana stated, giving a nod and a wink to Anya before heading off to her tent.

“First watch!” Alistair called.

Anya’s hand shot up, displaying two fingers.

“Third,” Sten added.

“Last so I can put breakfast together,” Morrigan said.

“I guess that means I’m fourth watch,” Leliana called from her tent.

Anya grinned before hopping up and grabbing a towel, signing for Tamlen as she went off to bathe.

“Now that Anya is gone, Zevran, if you’ll be traveling with us, you have to learn Anya’s hand words. It will take a little time, but they are not hard, so we expect you to try your hardest. Don’t ask her why she can’t speak, she prefers not to think about it,”

Morrigan spoke first. “Leliana seems to know most of the words, and we will all try to use our hands as we speak so you can try and pick up on them.”

Zevran was smirking as he replied, “I shall do my best to learn.”


	4. Kissing Leliana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group decides to head to Orzamar and Anya wants to kiss Leliana more than she should.

"Where are we going?" Morrigan asked as the company began packing camp.

"Orzamar?" Alistair replied.

"Is that a question?"

"Look, I don't like being in charge or anything. I don't want to take the lead in this!"

"Well, you have to."

"I know that!"

Leliana moved to stand beside Anya, drawing Anya's attention from their bickering companions and to the form of the pretty bard beside her.

"They never stop," Leliana muttered.

Anya glanced at Alistair, shrugging lightly before looking at Leliana again.

"Do you want to hear another story while we pack?" Leliana seemed so hopeful, every time she asked.

Anya glanced around before nodding, her face flushing lightly at Leliana's smile.

"Is there anything you want to hear in particular?"

Anya shook her head, her blush darkening as she freed her hands.  _"I just want to hear your voice,"_ Anya replied.

"You want to hear my voice?" Leliana sounded shocked.

_"You have a pretty voice. I like listening to you."_

"I, thank you," Leliana also blushed.

Anya forced herself to look away before Leliana's blush prompted something rash.

Something rash like kissing the other woman.

* * *

 Once the group reached Orzammar, Anya reserved her comments from the moment they walked into the city until they made it into the tavern. Alistair and Anya stepped aside to converse where Anya looked at Alistair and informed him that she disliked both Bhelen and Harrowmont. Anya left the entire ordeal up to Alistair before heading over to where Leliana stood at the bar, waiting to order a drink.

_"Order me something?"_ Anya asked when Leliana glanced at her.

"Of course, Anya. You could go save us all a table and I can get drinks? Unless you want to wait here with me?"

_"I'll save us a table."_

Leliana smiled, and Anya wanted to kiss her.

Instead, Anya threaded her fingers in Tamlen's collar and went to find a table.

Slowly, everyone started to sit around the table, most balancing food and drink as they sat themselves around the table. Zevran to Anya's right, Alistair beside him. Leliana took the seat to Anya's left and Morrigan sat next to Leliana, leaving Sten to occupy the seat across from Anya. Most of Anya's companions were nearly shouting to be heard over the noise of the tavern, though Zevran had taken to leaning in to talk in Alistair's ear as the rogue's fingers ran over the warrior's chest.

Halfway into her drink, Anya found herself leaning against Leliana with the bard's arm around her shoulders as Leliana spoke to Morrigan. Alistair was blushing as he traced over the tattoos on Zevran's face with his fingertips. Sten was smirking into his cup as he finished his third or fourth drink and munched his way through a large plate of cookies. Tamlen shoved his face further up Anya's leg, rumbling happily as Anya scratched his ears. Anya couldn't help the smile that graced her face as she let herself settle into the warmth of Leliana's side.

* * *

 It was Anya that fought in the Proving. She argued with Alistair for a long time before grabbing Zevran and telling him to keep an eye on Alistair in case anything happened to her. Then she was off to fight. Anya's skills served her well, and she quickly made it to the final battle where she elected to fight on her own instead of with the group. The battle took longer than Leliana would have liked, though she felt she had to admit it was over quicker than could have been expected.

Leliana ran to Anya and wrapped the tiny Warden in her arms.

"I must admit I was afraid, during that last fight, seeing you facing all four of those dwarves."

Anya struggled back a step, raising her hands to sign at Leliana, " _I knew I could do it. I said you never had to be afraid around me, and I mean it_.'

"Maybe I was afraid because I wasn't by you," Leliana suggested shyly, smiling as Anya beamed at her. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I feel comfortable, safe even, around you."

Anya tilted her head to the side, indicating for Leliana to continue.

"I trust you. You're a wonderful friend."

_"Only a friend?"_ Anya couldn't stop herself from asking that, her eyes widening at her hands and her face flushing with embarrassment.

"I, I had hoped to be more than friends."

Anya could not stop herself from standing on her toes, fingers latching on to Leliana's armor as she did what she had been wanting to do longer than she cared to admit. Anya's fingers tightened their hold on Leliana's armor and she pulled the bard down and kissed her.


End file.
